Mass Effect: Shattered Horizons
by SwearToME
Summary: Horizon. The planet has plenty history for both Cerberus and the Alliance, and history has a habit of repeating itself. Altered ME3 timeline. Changed the rating because in the future updates it will get grittier.
1. Prelude - An Atypical Awakening

A/N: Soooo, this is my first attempt at writing. So I apologize in advance because it is probaly going to show. I would sincerely appreciate any criticism, as I plan to come back and edit/continue this story in the future (and it getting better would be an added bonus).

Anyways, this first chapter is purposely short and hopefully will act as an introduction, to the introduction, which will allow me to introduce my actual characters.

I guess I'ts a prelude then...

/endsramble

* * *

Francis Wight did not remember falling asleep, nor did he recall getting up to be so damn difficult.

_That caf food has finally taken its toll, _he thought glumly. _Hopefully no one saw this... Oh please tell me no one saw this._

Although this wasn't the first time he had woken up on the ground, he was usually able to remember why.

This time however was different. Partly because of the white protrusion sticking out of his left leg.

Which strangely resembled a bone.

* * *

It was a while before Francis regained consciousness.

His thoughts drifted to his wife, they had had a falling out before he left for Horizons only orbital defence station. He'd be the first to admit he hadn't really listened, but he got the general gist of her argument before he left. Something along the lines of him being a hopelessly miserable person who never showed any real ambition... Or maybe he just remembered that from the letter she sent a few days back.

Regardless, he never really liked the Asari bitch. The last straw was when she went on and on about how she couldn't wait for him to die so she could move on. At that point, he just got up and left. So, being miserable and in no state of mind to make any good decisions, he did the only rational thing. He joined the army... well not really, he joined the next best thing. Planetary militia.

He had signed his own death warrant because some blue bitch pressed the wrong buttons.

_The bitch.._

Luckily enough though, his previous training and education actually made him overqualified for grunt work, so he ended up in the luxurious position of security chief on Horizon's only orbital defence station.

So at least he wouldn't be turned into some god awful monstrosity when the reapers inevitably invaded.

Nope, he planned on being an indistinguishable smear when this station went up in flames.

Glancing down at his leg again, he let out a sigh. He knew it should hurt, and he had a feeling that the current lack of pain was probably a bad sign.

_At one point I'm going to have to get up. Might as well do it while there is still blood in my body._

Swearing with a vengeance he slowly got to his feet, and even slower he gathered his wits.

Putting all his weight on his good leg, he looked around the room. Immediately he noticed two rather unusual characteristics about his workplace.

The first was the flickering emergency lighting. The second was the security console flashing all sorts of colours.

The flashing colours won over his interest.

Luckily, he recalled his orientation with the previous security commander.

_Green is good, amber is 'attention' and red means dead._

The remaining colour drained from his face "Oh... oh no."

Everything was red.

Keying in some commands, he activated the stations diagnostic program

"Alert. Virus detected" droned the stations VI.

"Life support – Offline..."

"Station Defences – Offline..."

"Kinetic Barriers – Offline..."

"Manoeuvring Thrusters – Offline..."

"Engines – Offline..."

"Aft docking bay barrier – Offline..."

"Port side docking bay barrier – Offline..."

"Lockdown in Progress..."

"Weapon discharges detected..."

"No signs of life detected from Engineer Rachel, Engineer Brian..."

_What in the hell!_

His mind was racing. Weapons discharge? Rachel? Dead? He had just seen her not thirty minutes ago in the cafeteria.

He always liked her smile...

That thought brought him back into the present where the roll call of the deceased continued.

"... Chief Weapons Officer Daniels, Capt-"

He turned to face the now silent announcement system. Propping himself against a cabinet he watched as the light indicating power abruptly shut off. That is about when everything stopped making sense.

Well, less sense.


	2. First Chapter - An Unwelcome Visitor

"Mass effect core is offline," intoned the AI.

"Sir, that was the last critical system. The station has been successfully crippled."

"And what of our agent?"

"He is reporting that 19 of the 30 crew are confirmed dead, with another 6 unaccounted for."

"If I may operative," the AI interrupted. "I was able to detect 7 personnel unintentionally exiting the ship when I disabled the safety protocols in the two hangar bays."

"That is sufficient, TAI." replied the operative whose presence dominated the command deck.

"What crew members remain operational aboard the station?"

"Although the identity of the personnel who worked the hangars cannot yet be confirmed. If the crew have not deviated to far from their normal patterns... the remaining survivors would include two security personnel, the chief of security Francis Wight and chief medical officer Sophia Benning."

At the mention of the survivors there was a noticeable change in atmosphere. The only survivors happened to be the most troublesome, and it was clearly evident that the operative was not pleased.

"The security personnel were supposed to have perished in the initial stages. Did the charges not activate?" Inquired the operative in a voice that barely disguised his rage.

"I can confirm that all charges detonated, however the targets have not been affected as intended."

The operative cast a menacing glance towards the AI's display."If I could reach you TAI, I'd break you." Then rounding on the ship's captain, "In my absence you have command, prepare my shuttle for departure immediately." To this the captain gave a quick nod and began making preparations for the shuttle crew.

"And TAI?" he continued, "re-engage the core and docking bay environmental safeties **before** my shuttle enters the station." And with that, Kai Leng - Cerberus's most deadly operative- departed.

* * *

There were some unusual benefits to a zero-g environment. First off, it made navigation easier with a severe leg injury, and secondly, it was oddly relaxing.

Francis had spent the first few minutes of weightlessness organizing his thoughts and trying to make sense of the current situation. He reasoned that with the stations primary systems being offline, a substantial part of the crew being dead, and the VI's report regarding gunshots being fired... The station had been boarded and was currently under attack.

How someone gotten aboard without him detecting it was a concern for another time.

Still, with the mass effect core offline, security across the station was severely compromised.

As in non-existent.

All security doors and checkpoints could now be bypassed because, the VI which controlled it was offline. That meant that the high security portion of the station -also known as his half- was completely vulnerable to the attackers.

Which was not good.

Time to see if there was a silver lining to this particularly shitty cloud.

Making his way towards the nearest door panel, Francis activated his omni-tool. If he could redirect emergency power from the lighting system to instead power stations internal communications, then theoretically he should be able to talk with the survivors. That way, he could see what resources he had at his disposal.

If he could re-route the power...

* * *

Sophia Benning was terrified.

Curled up behind one of her examination tables, she struggled to maintain her silence.

Her life depended on it.

She had been waving to Engineer Brian through the reinforced glass when everything went wrong. She would never forget his face, contorted in horror as the atmosphere was vented from engineering. Then he was gone, just like that.

Gone... like all the others.

Barely holding back a whimper, she risked a glance around the table. The man she had known as Simon, was still in the adjacent room looking for her. She had always thought him to be a kind soul, he was always ready with a joke to lighten your day or a word of encouragement. Now she knew him to be a vile monster, a killer and a traitor.

She was just about to approach him after the carnage of the hangar when she saw him review a message he had just recieved on his omni-tool. How could he do that if all systems were down? How could he be so calm and collected, and why did he have a pistol? Ducking around a corner suddenly unsure of her plan, she heard him mutter "So the doctor and some security are still alive. Shit."

_Shit? Who says shit to good news like that?_

Luckily she had come to the right conclusion and high-tailed it before Simon rounded the corner.

Now she was cowering behind the table, waiting for death. Maybe coming back to the medical offices had not been her best moment.

_Good going Sophia, just make it easier for the crazy killer..._

However, Sophia was not the caring and compassionate soul she thought Simon to be. She was made of sterner stuff than most people knew, and she planned to go down swinging... Or stabbing. Hence the two scalpels she had firmly grasped in both her hands.

"Sophia? Are you in here? If you are, you should come with me to the escape pods, were evacuating the station." Simon says, as he cautiously enters the back room where Sophia is hiding.

That was when the mass effect core went offline.

"What the-" Sophia heard Simon exclaim when she herself let out a small yelp of surprise.

_Oh no._

"So you are in here... Why are you hiding Sophia? It's me Simon, I was sent to get you."

_Sent to get me, hah, your a real joker Simon._

Knowing what she did, she could hear the excitement in his voice, and it sickened her. Still, the lack of gravity only increased her odds of survival. That is, if her assumption that Simon would find firing why floating slightly more difficult than before.

Making her way slowly around the table, Sophia prepared herself to strike at Simon. She was well aware at how dangerous her current situation was, but she also knew human biology quite well and had two inconceivably sharp knives at her disposal.

"Come on Sophia, stop hiding. We have to get going now!" Simon announced turning away from Sophia hiding spot just as he lurked around the corner to pounce.

Lucky.

Kicking off the table with all her strength she sped towards Simon.

Hearing something, Simon tried to turn and draw his pistol but was taken off guard by the sudden reversal of roles. Unable to draw his weapon, he grappled with Sophia briefly, but using his superior strength he sent her sailing across the room.

At this point, Sophia knew she was about to die. Watching Simon reach for his weapon between ragged breaths, she closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable gun shot.

…

_It is taking him an awfully long time._

Opening her eyes, she was greeted with pure darkness.

_So that is it then. I'm dead. Shit._

Then she realized that for being dead, she was still in quite a bit of pain.

* * *

The captain of the SSV Independence stared at the last obstacle Cerberus had to overcome for total domination of this system. The holographic image of the system lazily spun above the projector, the station highlighted in red for increased visibility. All of it was completely at odds with hustle of the CIC. The crew were at battle stations, but the fact of the matter was, they could not assist without jeopardizing the mission.

The space station Retaliation which orbited the planet Horizon served as a warning beacon to both Alliance command and the planet below should the Reapers decide to invade the system. While it certainly could not stop (or even delay) a Reaper force from attacking the planet, it possessed incredibly powerful transmitters to bypass any jamming and send a signal to the Alliance.

That is what made this operation so difficult and interesting.

The station could not be blown up because Alliance command would no longer receive its regular status updates. Nor could the station be boarded or seized conventionally because the crew aboard would be able to lock it down and send a distress signal in time.

No, this operation had required extensive planning, and to make sure it went off without hitch, they sent Kai Leng to oversee it.

_Stuck up asshole._

The captain disliked the man, and he strongly believed that his crew felt the same. The man was obnoxious, and carried himself with an authority he felt he deserved, rather than one he earned. He was willing to admit though, Kai Leng was certainly capable of earning that respect. Whether he did though, was another story altogether.

"Captain, the shuttle is away." informed his communications officer.

"Very good," the captain replied with a deep sigh of relief. Turning to face his communications officer he surveyed the ship. His position on the bridge allowed him a perfect overview of the entire crew. Steady streams of data played across dozens of screens. Then all that information across all those stations was analysed, parsed, summarized and then rerouted to him.

Although the mass effect drive may be the heart of the ship, the CIC the brain; he always thought the captain was the ship's purpose, its will.

_And if a captain loses his purpose_... he put the troubling thought aside.

"Sir? Something troubling you?" the comm officer inquired coming to stand beside the captain. The captain found his timing to be uncanny. Still though it bothered him that his state of mind was so easily read by one of the crew. He would have to work on masking he feelings better. However, as much as he regretted it, he had an unofficial open door policy with his crew. He believed there were benefits to being open with the crew, that it developed a relationship that would survive the more rigorous ordeals of combat.

Having a noble cause and a respect for rank is fine, but when in the thick of combat, you fight to keep yourself and your friends alive. That was the simple truth of things. Therefore, he preferred to be a friend of the crew in addition to their commanding officer.

But sometimes he regretted how lenient he was. A typical crew would never have questioned the commander well-being in front of others, it was unprofessional and possibly damaging to morale.

_Not to mention less embarassing..._

"I know- knew, some of the people aboard that station. And to be responsible for their deaths sits ill with me, no matter the reasons." the captain finally replied with honesty. Then looking over to his officer,"Does this trouble you?"

The communications officer looked over to his commander, then looked back at the vast expanse of space. The hazy orange lighting of the local sun provided a picturesque background and helped to further highlight their target, their mission."Permission to speak freely sir?"

"Granted."

"It would be more troubling if it didn't bother you sir. And I think you'll find that all the crew are of the same mind. I believe it's important now more than ever, that we maintain our humanity so we don't lose sight of what we are fighting for."

The captain turned to face his communications officer yet again, a grin appearing on his usually stoic expression. "Holy shit. That was deep."

"Thank you sir." the officer replied, turning away from the captain to hide his embarrassment.

_The boy is young, but he is also wise. He understands war in a way that allows for both reason and duty. To bad there are others calling the shots._

"Captain, I'm registering an increase in power to the stations communications. The survivors might be attempting to organize and get a signal out." the AI voiced, interrupting the captains musings.

"Is there sufficient power to send a signal to the Alliance?" the captain asked, his voice not betraying his increased anxiety.

"No, it appears someone has rerouted the systems emergency power to restore inter-station communications not the broadcast system. However, it is possible that if the broadcasting array were manually accessed, then emergency power could be re-routed to create a signal of sufficient strength to reach the Alliance."

"Relay this information to our agent on board."

"I have already tried, but a recent change in his vital signs suggest he may no longer be useful."

"Get me communications with Kai Leng immediately." the urgency in his voice was easily apparent. It was difficult for him to remain collected, this mission was crucial and the situation had deteriorated so rapidly it was almost comical. Their agent on board was probably dead, and one of the remaining crew on board had just developed an affinity for electrical engineering and hacking.

_And now to tell Kai Leng the good news..._

The twist was, he couldn't assist in anyway that would not compromise the mission in another way. Any external damage to the station to stop the signal would take too long to repair in order to maintain an effective ruse.

"Sir, communications with Kai Leng have been established."

The captain began finding it difficult to breathe.

_But Kai Leng is aboard, maybe destroying the station is not that bad of an idea after all..._ He was seriously considering it when he realized the man he had just killed in his mind, was waiting for him in real life.

_Still though... _

"Excellent work," the captain replied not missing a beat. "Prepare all forward batteries to fire on the Retaliation. I want them aimed at all structural hard points that may assist in the transmission of a signal off station. TAI, relay the necessary information to the gunnery crew." Then he activated the communications channel with Kai Leng.

"You ask for me, then leave me waiting captain? And here I thought you were intelligent." a rather irritated Kai Leng responded.

"There have been some developments that you need to be made aware of." replied the captain ignoring the insult.

"Go on." all venom in his voice disappearing. When the mission is at hand, it seemed his usual demeanour was set aside for the sake of professionalism. Interesting.

"To be brief, our agent aboard the Retaliation is either dead or dying and a survivor aboard the station has restored the stations internal communications system by redirecting the emergency power. Which means-"

"I'm aware of what it means captain." Kai Leng interrupted...

_Maybe his usual demeanour wasn't set aside._

"The plan remains unchanged." Kai Leng continued. "I will board and TAI will proceed to restore partial functionality to the station in order for my boarding team to close with the survivors faster. Also inform TAI that he is to now restore and take control of station security so that he may further slow the progress of the survivors."

"It will be done. Anything else?"

"Yes. If for some reason the station begins to broadcast its signal, destroy it. Even if I remain aboard."

"I have already made those preparations." the captain replied with a grin."If I may suggest something operative?" He continued.

"You may."

"Do be quick." and with that he closed the connection cutting off Kai Leng's reply, much to the amusement of the crew.

_Two can play at that game. _

For a man who had probably just consigned himself to death, the captain was rather happy.

* * *

"This is Francis Wight. If there is anyone still out there, please respond."

_Maybe I should apologize about the lights..._

He was just about to try and contact the survivors again when a familiar voice interrupted him."Francis? Francis, I'm in the medical bay."

"Sophia? It's good to know that someone else is alive. How are you doing? Are you safe?"

"I-I think so. Francis... It was Simon. Simon was the one..." Sophia continued after a considerable pause.

"Sophia," Francis said softly trying to calm her. "I need to know if your OK."

"Of course I'm not OK you -static- idiot!" she snapped."Everything has gone to hell! I saw everyone in engineering get sucked out into space Francis! A-and Simon just tried to kill me with a- a freaking pistol Francis! So no, I am not OK." If it was anyone else the reaction may have surprised him, but he knew Sophia had a rather... explosive personality.

"Sophia," he replied trying to maintain his own composure. "You're going to get through this, but I need you to get a grip on yourself OK? Did you say Simon is trying to kill you? Simon from navigation?" He still couldn't believe that one part. Simon was, well Simon. He couldn't imagine him frowning let alone trying to kill someone. Then again, a traitor on board the station would explain how the recent events came to pass. A well placed agent would bypass all the stations external securities.

_It's hard to defend against yourself... _And with that thought, he thoughts immediately went to Cerberus. The reapers wouldn't bother with any of this subterfuge, not for a planet as insignificant as Horizon. They would just send in a few ships, destroy any resistance, and collect the rest. That was the most efficient way.

_A machines way, _he thought darkly.

Only Cerberus would have the resources, and the patience to plan something like this. And here he was, a lowly militia officer blocking their way. He didn't like his chances.

"Yes, the Simon from navigation." Sophia continued interrupting his mental sleuthing. He noticed a sadness creeping into her voice. Then continuing on after a short while, "I can't hear him any more... I think I may have killed him. I think I may have killed him Francis."

"I'm on my way Sophia, you'll be safe." Francis promised. "Just stay safe and wait for me." Turning off his omni-tool, he went to his security locker for gear. His equipment might not have been impressive, but at this particular moment he was just glad to have anything. Strapping on his combat armour and fastening his Phalanx and spare thermal clips to his good leg, Francis departed to find the medical officer.

He regretted his actions immediately.

Navigating the station in zero-g and almost complete darkness was pure terror. With just his pistol's flashlight to bolster his courage, he had to will himself through the horror movie atmosphere. He thought he lost his way a dozen times, and a dozen times more he imagined (hopefully) that something was following him.

He was still not enthusiastic in anyway when he finally recognized the medical bay symbol down the hall. Floating up to the door, Francis prepared himself for the worst and entered.

"Sophia? You better step out because I am completely peaked right now." He called out truthfully.

_Oh please god just announce yourself woman._

He swept his flashlight across the room and to his surprise realized that he was standing on the ceiling. Reorientating himself, he advanced further into the room. Still no sign of Sophia, perhaps she was in the back area? That is where he would hide if he was trapped in this room.

Approaching the back area, he grabbed a hold of a nearby table and steadied himself.

"Sophia! Dammit woman come out where I can see you." he called out again before slowly entering the final room. Almost immediately he felt his face brush against something wet. Startled he turned about and directed his light towards the object.

Screaming and vomiting at the same time proved to be quite difficult with a face full of blood.

And that is when the station's systems re-engaged.

* * *

Sophia was still unsure if she could trust Francis when he had entered the room.

She did not think she was ready to trust anyone after her encounter with Simon.

Who knew how many other crew members were apart of this? Maybe she was the last 'good guy' on board. The thought terrified her.

So she sat on her counter and waited.

Her opinions changed however, when Francis stumbled into Simon's corpse the second he entered the room.

But before she could even react, she was temporarily blinded by the reactivated station lights. Cursing profusely she stumbled towards where she last heard Francis screaming.

"Oh you poor bastard." she said with honesty while rounding the corner, her eyesight healing. He was not in good shape at all. Actually, he was in awful shape; she could barely see his face through all the blood. He was pinned to the ground by Simon's corpse, and one of his legs was in a bad way. He looked at her and tried to say something, but instead he just closed his eyes and spat out blood which was (thankfully) not his.

Not really much to be thankful for...

It took a while to get him free of the corpse and up on his feet again.

"So," Sophia began. "What's your plan on getting us out of this mess?"

* * *

Francis didn't reply right away, he was to busy cleaning himself off in the decontamination room. He was not doing so well. Besides his obvious leg injury, his recent ordeal had no doubt affected him psychologically.

She decided to give him some time to pull himself together and get cleaned up. So she departed and went to get some supplies together in order to treat his leg.

When she returned to check up on him, he was sitting at the counter waiting for her.

"Hello Doc." he addressed her with faked levity.

"Let me have a look at your leg. If I don't get that seen to right now you'll be no good to anyone." she replied giving him a stern look that brooked no opposition.

She assisted him with getting onto the examination table. It was oddly soothing for her to be working again. The analytical and logical side of her had taking over and left no room for any of those tiresome emotions. Cutting away the fabric around the wound, she got to work.

Halfway through her procedure, she realized Francis had been staring at her for some time.

"You can't feel any of this can you?" she asked him.

"Not a thing Doc." he replied looking casually towards his wounded leg. "I'm assuming that is not good?"

"Well in any other situation I'd say no. But considering how you have to keep a sweet thing like me alive, I think a destroyed nerve cluster is a good thing. Now shut up and let me finish."

"You started it!" he retorted defensively.

_It's good that he maintains his sense of humour._

When she finished bandaging the wound she looked him directly in the eyes. "Keep your weight off this leg just like you've been doing, and if we make it through this, we will get it fixed up."

"Were not making it through this Doc." he stated grimly maintaining eye contact with her. "The best we can do now is to make some asshole's day miserable and warn the Alliance. This entire fiasco has been to well orchestrated to be some random attack and you know it."

An awkward silence followed.

"Wow, you really suck at this motivation thing Francis." she finally said.

Grinning, he pointed towards Simon's body. "For this next part, you're going to need a gun."

"Why? You think there are more traitors aboard?"

"Who do you think turned the power back on Doc? Certainly wasn't me, and it certainly wasn't Simon here." he said gesturing once again to Simon. "No... I have a sneaking suspicion that no one else will be flying out of the hangars any time soon. In maybe, but certainly not out."

"You mean we've been-"

"Yes Doc," he said interrupting her. "We've been boarded." And then swinging himself around and dismounting the table he moved to the door.

"Come on." he said waving her over. "if I know you. Which I do by the way, 'cause I got your employment history." he said with a mischievous grin. "You'd love some payback."

She walked over, retrieving Simon's pistol along the way. When Francis turned to go through the door she grabbed his arm tightly. "Do you really think we have a chance?" she was embarrassed at how small she sounded.

"I honestly think we do..." he said sincerely looking her in the eyes, and with a grin added "Now that I have tasted human blood I feel unstoppable. And besides, that is one monstrous pistol you have there."

Curious about his earlier comment, she looked down and examined Simon's old pistol. _M-358 _was written on its side and it was rather hefty. She looked forward to firing it.

Redirecting her attention back to Francis, she noticed something humorous. "Mine is bigger than yours Francis. You should be embarrassed."

"I always figured you had one." he replied without missing a beat.

She was about to ask what that meant when he interrupted her. "Don't worry about it. We have wasted to much time as it is. Lets go and send that signal."

* * *

Francis looked back towards Sophia. It had been a few minutes since they had left the medbay, and the sneaking had become routine as to allow for thinking.

_My biggest strength, _he thought glumly.

Sophia was holding up good -considering she had literally butchered a man minutes ago- and that leg brace she gave him actually made him able to walk again. Looking back at Sophia he frowned, he didn't think the gravity of what she had done had settled in yet. For her sake, he hoped it never would.

Recalling his own terrifying experience in the medbay, he gripped his Phalanx tighter. Trying to suppress the memory he took comfort in the small things.

_I have a weapon and, I have a mission. _

Also, navigating the station with the lights on was also a major bonus.

Early on in the journey, they heard gunshots echo throughout the that their may be more survivors, Sophia had urged him to go change course.

"You don't understand Sophia," he replied. "Whoever fired those shots is done for." He waited a while, maybe if there were more shots... there were not. Turning back to face her, he continued "This isn't a holding action, and it sure as shit isn't an action flic where we heroically win the day. As much as I want it to be, it just isn't. This is a hunt Sophia, and I'm thinking you know who the prey is."

Realizing what he had said, he looked way angry with himself. Of all the things to say, he chose all the wrong ones. "You were right," he continued in a whisper "I really do suck at this motivation business. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I wouldn't want you to die feeling guilty about something you said. And I think, given the circumstances, I'll forgive you this once."

He was dumbfounded. Of all the reactions, this was the least expected. He was about to tell her as much, when she surprised him yet again. "Next time though, I'll shoot you in the face."

Now that was the Doc he remembered. The one who had -with incredible reluctance- saw to it that he got acquainted with the crew, and settled into his new home.

He thought it fitting that she was the one he 'left' this station with.

The grinning like a fool he added the following small comfort to his list. _I have a girl._

They had been travelling in silence for a few minutes when they encountered the first Cerberus trooper at a junction. The heavy footfalls had warned them to take cover around a corner, when moments later a figure in skull white armour pounded past and further down the hall. Francis started to recalculate his chances of success a few moments later when another trooper approached. This one however, decided to stop right in the middle of the junction. He obviously had orders to hold that particular position.

Francis turned to Sophia and saw the mixture of fear and surprise in her expression.  
He was sure his own expression was a match.

"The signal room is just through that junction and to the left." he whispered. "Once I shoot, they will be coming quick; so follow me no matter what." he continued taking hold of her hand.

She nodded in understanding, making what he was about to say even harder.

"Now when we get in that room, I'm going to need you to cover me while I reroute the power to send a signal. So fire my gun like crazy if you see someone."

Another nod.

Giving her hand a comforting squeeze, he let go and readied himself for action. Taking a few slow breaths, he played the coming scenario out in his mind.

_Break cover, inhale and aim, exhale and fire._ He recited his newly created mantra a few more times before he acted.

He rounded the corner and brought his weapon up.

_Inhale and aim._

_Exhale and fire._

And just like that, he killed someone. In the time it took the trooper to register his presence, it was already over.

_Just like that, _he thought. He was just about to sit down when something shoved him from behind.

"Get moving you dumbass!" Sophia shouted breaking him out of his reverie.

_Oh shit! Oh shit oh shit oh shit!_

It did not take long for him to regain his composure, and it took even less time for him to achieve top speed.

Turning the corner of the junction, they sped down the hallway towards their destination.

He was just wondering where the other trooper went when his answer attempted to leave the room he was headed for.

Although the trooper was expecting trouble, he was not expecting this particular kind of trouble. Almost immediately he was brought down by two individuals unable to arrest their momentum. Weapon already in hand, Francis quickly brought it against the side of troopers head and pulled the trigger.

_Just like that._

This time however, he remained focussed. "Cover me." he said handing his gun to an astonished Sophia.

Then leaving Sophia to guard the hallway with a gun he knew she couldn't aim with, he began redirecting the power.

* * *

It seemed like an eternity, but the captain had only been waiting a few minutes before he received word from the AI.

"Cerberus personnel have successfully eliminated two of the remaining security personnel."

With that one sentence, half of his anxiety evaporated.

Turning away from the galactic backdrop, he watched as two of the four remaining crew profiles turned a dark red and disappeared from the primary holodisplay. Considering the amount of time the survivors had to get organized, he had begun to fear that they had regrouped completely. If that had been the case, their chances of success would have been exponentially higher. Now there were only two survivors, and they were up against an elite Cerberus boarding party led by it's most ruthless operative. He would have felt pity at their odds of survival, but as long as there _were_ odds he wouldn't permit himself such feelings.

Examining the holodisplay, he began to read the data Cerberus had uncovered about the two survivors. What else was there to do?

_A bitter medical officer and a socially awkward security chief._ He thought as he finished his overview a few minutes later._ The dynamic duo._

He had not realized he had spoken his last thought aloud until the communications officer looked at him oddly.

"I certainly hope not sir." he said with a furrowed brow and one eyebrow raised questioningly. "If I recall correctly, those particular two had a habit of beating the odds."

Thinking back on his childhood on Earth, he met his officers gaze. "But they had an awesome car and cool costumes."

"Touché, sir." the man replied with a grin turning back to his console.

_Because a car and costumes is what really made them heroes._ He thought sardonically, realizing that those two still could still undo everything, regardless of their odds.

A few moments later, the captain would become a firm believer in Murphy's Law.

* * *

Kai Leng was disappointed, this mission was beneath him. When he finally encountered some targets, they didn't even slow him down. Their feeble attempt to stop him only served to further infuriate him. These men had no discipline, no backbone; therefore, they were beyond contempt. He had almost lowered his barriers to give them an illusion of a chance, but judged that they did not even deserve that. No, his mercy had been killing them quickly.

_Where was the challenge in this?_ He raged. _Why does the man continuously insult me by denying me a chance to prove myself!_

There was an entire galaxy in flames, humanities largest and possibly final trial was at hand and...and, here he was, assisting Cerberus personnel with some rejects not worthy of digging a latrine.

_He is unwilling to utilize me, but he spends a fortune to resurrect his deadliest opponent. _This particular thought often crossed his mind. Why would the Illusive Man focus so much of his resources rebuilding one person? He could have commissioned the construction of an entire fleet and put assets into play across the galaxy. Hell, he could have bought Omega or an arm of the Citadel... but no. He brings back the Commander. He would never see the wisdom in that particular decision. It was such a colossal waste of capital.

_If only he realized my potential. I would have been more than capable in defeating the Collector threat, and we would still have their station for research..._

Blue tendrils of pure biotic power played across him as he obsessed about the injustice of it all. He would have his chance one day.

A nearby centurion approached him cautiously. "Operative. We need to continue with our objective, the other two survivors have yet to be terminated."

He turned to face the centurion, the biotic storm vanishing. "Yes of course," he replied regaining his composure. "Hopefully, these last two will prove to be more of a challenge." With that, he continued further into the station.

Consulting his omni-tool, he brought up the schematics for the station. Overlaying the location of his team, he noticed that some of his advance forces could move to secure the signal room. If he cut them off from the only thing that could jeopardize the mission, then this farce was as good as over.

"Charlie One and Two, proceed to and secure the signal room and nearby junction. Report any hostile targets immediately. All other units, continue to sweep your assigned quadrants."

Looking back at his display, he located the medbay. What better place to find a doctor?

He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but he found navigating the confines of the station calming. It was whenever he wandered a station such as this, that he truly appreciated humanity's capacity for creation and invention. To have gone so far as to colonize the infinity of space itself -and within such a short time- was testament to humanity's superiority over other species.

The Asari, Turians, Salarians... They all had their chance to take control, and they squandered it. In this conflict, humanity had an oppurtunity to become the most powerful faction in the galaxy, and Cerberus would see that chance become a reality.

Regardless of how the Illusive Man may treat him personally, Kai Leng believed in -and would fight for- Cerberus's ideals until his last breath.

He was nearing the medical bay when he heard the first shot.

"This is Charlie two. I'm reporting weapon fire outside the signal room. I repeat weapon's fire in my immediate vicinity. I'm moving to engage."

"No don't en-" But the signature sound of a door opening interrupted him. A moment later, a much louder a commotion on the troopers still active communication device interrupted him. "-gage." he finished with a sigh. The loss of the signal had coincided with another gunshot.

"All troops converge on the signal room." he ordered.

Kai Leng was not pleased, his troops were better than this. How could a reject security chief get the better of two highly trained and augmented troopers? Activating his omni-tool he highlighted the most direct route to the signal room, this was certainly not a time for caution. And he certainly wasn't prepared to suffer the consequences from failing this particular mission. The Illusive Man had a habit of 'disposing' of assets he no thought were no longer useful.

He was making excellent progress when the captain of the SSV Independence hailed him on a secure channel.

"Operative Kai Leng." the captain started. "The reason for this communication is to inform you that once the signal strength nears a level which could compromise the mission, we will fire upon the Retaliation. While systems that could assist with sending a signal are our only targets, I'm apologizing in advance for any collateral damage or casualties that may occur."

_That is a interesting way of saying 'I'm kinda sorry if you die,_ Kai Leng thought with a grimace.

As much as he wanted to, he would not countermand his previous orders to the captain. It was the appropriate action to take, and if he did fail in this undertaking... he wasn't sure if he could live with the embarrassment."Acknowledged and understood captain," he replied, still continuing his breakneck pace through the station corridors. "How much time do I have to stop the signal?"

"TAI estimates three minutes."

"That will be all captain," he replied closing the channel. If he was not so far from the action, that would have been plenty of time. But as it stood, he calculated he'd have about half a minute once he actually reached the signal room. This was getting interesting, and not in a good way. He cursed inwardly at this change of fortune.

More gun fire echoed down the corridors as he neared his destination. Comm-chatter was getting frantic, the casualty count was rising at an unexpected rate. Then again, considering how the initial planning for this operation had not allotted for any casualties, any losses were unexpected.

Another shot, but this one had terrible power behind it. He cursed again.

* * *

Sophie was surprised she lived as long as she had, and she was more surprised when her blind firing around the corner resulted in a grunt of pain. That was the fourth time she heard that noise in as many minutes, and it would always make her smile.

_Those bastards think they can take me! I'll show them, I'll make them all pay._

But she knew it was pure luck that she was still alive. Earlier on she overheard a trooper get reprimanded when he tried to prime a grenade. "Are you mentally retarded?" what she assumed was the higher ranking officer shouted. "We need that room intact! Which means no grenades, and no missing when we get inside. We do this the old fashion way."

If the old fashion way spared her from being blown up, she was all for it. Risking a glance around the corner, she spotted more troopers making their way quietly down the corridor. She pulled her head back as the area where it had been quickly filled with a stream of bullets.

_Time to return fire, _she thought grinning. If she survived this, she might just join the army. Grasping her Phalanx pistol tightly, she reached around the corner and pulled the trigger. She had wanted to hear another grunt, but all she got was a melody she certainly did NOT want to hear.

"He's out of rounds! Rush him!" came the excited cry of a trooper. They finally weren't running down a corridor with a crazy woman shooting at them. The slow and cautious advance of the troopers had turned into a mad charge.

_Wait, they said rush 'him'. They only think one person is here. _They didn't know two people had come into this room, and because of the resistance they encountered, they assumed that they were up against the security chief. She found that reasonable, but also slightly sexist. She gave a short laugh. Out of bullets and with death rapidly closing in, she started to smile. She would have the last laugh in this battle. Those troopers were in for a surprise when they found out they were held back by a female non-combatant.

_If only I could see their expressions... To bad I'll be dead. Maybe I bought enough time for Francis to finish._

Ready for the end, she slunk down to the ground and closed her eyes. Taking what she assumed would be her final breath, she tried to recollect her life before all the madness; but her thoughts immediately turned to her horrifying encounter with Simon. She still found it hard to believe that the Simon who she thought to be a gentle soul was also the Simon who had minutes ago almost shot her with a pistol.

_A pistol..._

She suddenly felt incredibly stupid, she had forgotten all about Simon's pistol. Opening her eyes, she reached down and unhooked it from her belt. Judging from the footfalls, she reasoned that she didn't have much time before they were upon her. Standing up, she peaked around the corner and fired.

The kickback was tremendous, and the damage equally so. The troopers who had been advancing down the hall were very much dead. She judged this to be the case from the lack of a head on their shoulders. As she prepared to wretch from the horrific sight, she was tackled violently to the side as a torrent of gunfire passed through the doorway.

"I told you that was a monstrous pistol Doc," the tackler said in an all to cheery voice.

_Francis..._

"The signal is about to send," he continued. Climbing to his feet, he offered his hand to help her up."Lets give those Cerberus bastards a good show before we die."

"Lets," she replied. Then handing him back his pistol, "You can have this back, I like mine more."

Taking it, he checked the pistols ammo counter and grinned. "I guess I should have told you how to reload."

She didn't hear, she was deep in thought trying to remember something. A moment later she turned to face him, slightly confused as to why he was looking at her like that. "They only think there is one person here," she said finally recalling what the trooper had said. "They thought I was you, they don't know there are two of us here."

Frowning, he looked towards the door. Somebody was coming, and they were coming fast. Then turning back to her, he pointed towards a nearby console. "Hide behind that, and shoot whoever goes to shutdown the signal. I have a bad feeling about our newcomer."

She didn't like it, but it did make sense. She would have the element of surprise, and that might enough to prevent Cerberus from stopping the signal. She watched him reload his pistol as he took cover at the entrance.

He was calm.

It didn't last long.

The second he rounded the corner, he started firing. With each shot his expression grew more and more surprised. Until it changed to fear. This was not what she expected. There was no return fire, and that should have been a good sign. When Francis turned to her, and she saw the pure terror in his eyes, she knew the end was coming. Turning back he hit the control panel to slam the door shut, then he turned to run from the door.

He had made it maybe four feet when blue contrails of pure energy exploded into the room. The door ripped free from it's secured position and crashed into a fleeing Francis. He hit the ground hard. Too hard.

Completely terrified, she ducked behind the console. What in the world could have caused so much destruction? She was trembling profusely when she heard someone enter the room, and she was absolutely petrified when those footfalls came closer to her hiding spot.

"Hrmph, to easy," muttered a contempt filled voice.

That voice, it was so similar. Where had she heard it before? Then it hit her...it wasn't the voice, it was this entire scenario. It was happening again and upon realiziing this, she almost screamed in agony. A friend dead, a mad man trying to kill her, and here she was, hiding like a coward. _NO! _She screamed inwardly, panic rising. _This can't be happening again!_

Looking down to the pistol in her hands she realized then, that this wasn't the same. This time, she had the advantage, this time SHE had the gun.

This time, she would not be afraid.

_But Francis had a gun too, _she thought. The fear slowly started to return.

No. She would not be afraid. And with that, she rose from hiding and brought her gun to bear on the man who was now using the signalling controls. The man who killed Francis. Sensing something he turned to face her.

She would remember that expression forever. Complete surprise.

The moment stretched into eternity; and with all that time, she began to doubt herself. She was going to miss, and even if she hit it wouldn't matter. She would miss, the surety of it was terrifying.

Sensing her hesitation, the man grinned and started to bring his hand up blue power cascading across his armour.

She would miss... and with that a single memory jostled its way to the front.

"_We need that room intact! Which means no grenades, and no missing when we get inside."_

_No missing...  
_

_Intact..._

She WOULD miss, and to hell with Cerberus!

She adjusted her aim, and fired into the signal console.

Once, grinning.

Twice, smiling like a fool.

Three times.

Then it all went black.

* * *

The captain of the SSV Independence considered himself a lucky man. He was not the one who had to deliver the mission report directly to the Illusive Man.

"Operative Kai Leng, I hear congratulations are in order for stopping Retaliation's signal." the Cerberus leader congratulated as the captain entered the QEC. Despite just arriving, the captain still detected a hint of contempt in his voice. The Illusive Man was not pleased Kai Leng had let it come as close as it had.

_Oh, but there is more to come; just you wait, _the captain thought darkly. Normally he was above such pettiness, but he'd make a special exception for Kai Leng.

Unwilling to reply immediately Kai Leng looked for a temporary escape from scrutiny, yet found none.

"You were about to say something Kai Leng?"

Staring menacingly at the captain, clearly unwilling to discuss his failure in front of anybody, Kai Leng composed himself for his report.

"Yes, sir," Kai Leng started. The captain enjoyed seeing the man this way, it served him right for being so hostile. _Karma, _the captain thought smiling a little. "I successfully stopped the survivors from sending the signal." Then suddenly finding the floor fascinating continued, "I was however not able to prevent the destruction of the signal room equipment. I'm afraid the time required for repairs means the Alliance will miss two status updates."

The silence was long and incredibly awkward.

"That is most disappointing news Kai Leng." the Illusive Man replied with a frown. "Our plans for this system are incredibly sensitive, and any Alliance interference would prove catastrophic. It seems because of your _failure,_ we must prepare for the worst, while hoping for the best. A not unfamiliar situation, but one I had hoped to avoid." At the word failure, Kai Leng stiffened in anger. Yet in front of the Illusive Man, he would control himself, he could not afford another embarassment.

_That man is another level of crazy,_ the captain thought grimly. He had joined Cerberus to make a difference, not to assist lunatics craving for glory.

"Captain," the Illusive Man began, turning to face the him. "I will require your full report by the next standard galactic day. You are dismissed"

"Yes sir." the captain replied turning to leave.

"And Captain?" the Illusive man called to the captain's retreating figure. "Good work."

Beaming with pride, the captain exited the QEC, but not before overhearing one final word.

"_Thessia."_

* * *

_A/N: _End of the first chapter! Took me a while, but it got done.

Hope you enjoyed it!


	3. Second Chapter - A Reversal of Roles

A/N: I'm finally bringing recognizable characters in! So my little summary on the main page isn't a lie anymore.

And as a side note, I update these chapters as I go. As in I tend not to upload completed chapters.  
Which is awful I know...

* * *

_Thessia._

_Failure._

Commander Kate Shepard hunched over the QEC console, the weight of not only a world, but an entire galaxy on her shoulders. And after what happened on Thessia, she was almost ready to break. Her every action, both diplomatically and on the battlefield directly affected the survival of all sentient life.

_No pressure or anything, _she thought allowing herself the briefest of smiles. Those were becoming more rare as time progressed. One could not avoid becoming darker in this war, and when that change came for the Commander... it was relentless. She longed for the past, the days before the politics and impending doom. She wished she could just be a soldier again and leave it all behind.

When she first started out as a Spectre, she did not like having to report to the council. So she didn't, much to Udina's chagrin.

If only she could do the same today...

She dreaded giving this report to Admiral Hackett, and for good reason. How could she face a man who believed in her, a man who stood by her when others turned away. How could she face this man, and tell him that she had failed. That because of her... humanities extinction was almost inevitable... that Earth was lost. That all the sacrifices up to this point were in vain.

_All because I failed._

So how would she do it?

She would do it the only way she knew how, to the point and with honesty.

Opening the communications channel with Alliance command, she steeled herself and awaited the Admiral.

"Hacket here..."

He stood tall throughout her entire report, his face betraying no emotion. Then when she finished he simply looked at her with one eyebrow raised. What came next surprised her. "I'm sure I don't need to tell you this Shepard, but I will any-ways. In any war, victory is not assured. It never is. But as long as we strive for it, that is what counts." Then continuing in a gentler tone, "Get some rest Kate. The galaxy can make do without you for a day. I'll see to it myself. Hackett out."

With his signature sign-off the room went quiet, save the steady hum of the Normandy.

He still trusted her.

Pushing herself away from the counter, she settled up against a nearby wall and slumped to the ground in shock.

_He still trusts me._

Even after all that, he was still willing to stand beside her. To place humanities fate in her hands. The galaxies fate in her hands. She was positive, that had she given that report to anyone other than Hackett, she would not have had the willpower to continue. But she _had_ given that report to Hackett, and because of him she was not out of this fight just yet.

But first, one last hurdle.

She had to break a promise she made to herself years ago, a promise she made during one of the most difficult moments in her life. She needed to go back and acknowledge what had happened in this war in order to win it. She needed to get her head clear again, and if she could make it through that.

She would be ready.

She wouldn't fail him again. She wouldn't fail anyone again.

So pulling her knees closer, and her hoody over her head. Commander Kate Shepard curled up and began to cry.

* * *

Garrus didn't know what the noise was on the other side of the door. He had never heard anything of its kind before; it was actually sort of frightening. All he knew was that Shepard was in that room, and that she had not come down to visit him after her mission on Thessia. That worried him more than he thought possible.

She always came down to visit him.

_Because everyone needs a little Garrus in their life, _he thought smugly. He decided to disregard the fact that Shepard visited everyone after a mission, and not just him. Besides, she always came to him first. Or at least that is what he decided to believe.

The 'Shep-a-bout' as the crew called it, was simply what happened after a mission. It reinforced the familial atmosphere which was what being a member of the Normandy was all about.

In Joker's weekly 'Crew Only' emails he had outlined the 5 steps required for a Shep-a-bout to occur.

You arrive at a planet (in style)

You proceed to beat impossible odds

You leave the planet (in style)

You unpack your gear

You take 2 breaths

As humorous as the crippled pilot was, he was also alarmingly accurate.

_Maybe one breath though..._

So when the Shep-a-bout failed to occur after the mission on Thessia, the entire crew was uneasy.

More uneasy.

Lately Shepard had become increasingly distant to the crew, and more prone to fits of anger. She was losing herself to this mission, and he knew it was due to the stress.

_Which makes me a certain kind of brilliant, _he thought sarcastically. She had an **entire galaxy** to worry about, and it didn't help that she took every single loss personally. In order to succeed, she locked away all her emotion, and in doing so she had begun to lose herself.

He wouldn't let that happen, for the sake of the galaxy, and for his own. The others may look to her because they had no other choice. He looked to her, because he knew no better soldier in the entire galaxy for this mission. No better friend. So for purely altruistic reasons, Vakarian would keep her alive; because no one in the galaxy deserved a chance for R&R more than Shepard.

_And so the bold and handsomely scarred Garrus Vakarian set off to investigate. _He'd be the first to admit that taking a rocket to the face on Omega had done wonders for his magnetic personality. Maybe that is what made Shepard such a good leader, she had dozens more scars then him. He filed the thought away, he would think on it later during calibrations.

He was about to open the door when he noticed Tali coming his way. Always timid, the quarian tip toed her way around the crew trying her best not to disturb them. The girl had a heart of gold... The flotilla didn't realize how lucky they were to have her. When she accidentally bumped into someone using a console, her flurry of apologies brought a smile to Garrus's face.

Seeing him she waved and smiled in turn, at least he thought she smiled... It was hard to tell with Quarians.

_She totally smiled._

When she finally made it over to him, she pointed towards the door. "Is she in there?" she asked whispering.

"I think so, but there is a strange noise coming from the other side." he replied honestly.

"Strange noise? I don't believe you." and with that she pressed her head against the door. Moments later she brought her head away from the door. "Keelah, that _is_ strange..." then facing Garrus she continued. "We should go in, she might need help."

"Ladies first?"

"You're a coward Vakarian."

"Always."

With that, Garrus and Tali opened the door to the QEC, and what they saw would remain with them forever.

"Kate?" Garrus asked closing the door behind them. The crew didn't need to see this.

Commander Shepard was curled up against the far wall slowing rocking backwards and forwards.

And she was crying.

No, that wasn't quite right, this was not the same woman who had gone to Thessia. This was Kate who was curled up in front of him. This was the girl he had met when he was back at C-Sec. This was the young Alliance marine full of piss and vinegar who had the council in continuous uproar. This was the Shepard who joked, laughed and felt.

_This is the woman I'd follow to the end of the world. She's finally back._

But she was in rough shape.

_If only I had some swords, or chocolate, _he thought. _That always works with the ladies...Turian ladies love them some chocolate. Turian... Crap._ But that gave him a thought. If turian women -who were cold, hard and _scary_- loved something that was similar to them... Then it stood to reason that human women -who were warm and soft- would like something mushy, and altogether unbearably cheesy.

_Like sincerity!_ He remembered seeing that in those romantic comedies Traynor and Chakwas always watched. The ones he definitely didn't see on his own volition. Ever.

But then again, Garrus had seen her bloody, battered and bruised. He had seen her head-butt krogan, wrestle with yahg and kill Reapers while still on lunch break. Was she really the 'warm and soft' type?

_Yep, going with sincerity._

His train of thought was de-railed when a dazed Tali wandered into his peripheral vision. Seeing Shepard like this must have been hard for her. Shepard had practically adopted Tali the first time they met on the Citadel. The timid quarian had found a mission when she discovered Saren's true loyalties, yet she hadn't found purpose until Shepard walked into her life.

It reminded him a little bit to much of his own first encounter with the Commander.

_Damn! That woman is getting me to reminisce._

Suddenly remembering his mission, Garrus mentally prepared himself for the challenge ahead.

_Operation: Cheering Up Shepard._

"Kate?" he said in a low voice. He knelt down in front of the weeping woman.

_How can she not know I'm right here, _he thought with disbelief.

"Kate." he said again this time resting his hand on her shoulder. The crying and trembling stopped immediately.

Garrus felt oddly vulnerable.

Face still obscured by the hoodie, she just looked at his hand. She just stared at it, as if wondering how it had gotten there. Then slowly she raised her head to face him.

Garrus almost started to cry. Almost.

_But I'm a man, and it's ok if a man tears up! _He thought trying to reassure himself.

She looked so helpless and tired, nothing at all like her usual self. Garrus wished he wouldn't remember this, but he knew he never would forget. He was seeing Shepard at her most vulnerable, and it physically hurt to see her this way.

"Garrus?" Kate asked timidly in-between sniffles.

"Do you know anyone else who looks this good?" he replied striking what he thought was a heroic pose.

But he couldn't put his heart into it.

It still garnered him a half-hearted chuckle from Kate.

But it wasn't enough. She was using her sweater to dry her tears when she started to tremble again. "I'm sorry," she began tears starting to well-up in her eyes. "I tried, but it wasn't enough..."

That is when Tali stepped in, taking the pressure off a completely confounded Garrus. She just sat down right next to Shepard, and held her.

"I-I'm sorry I failed you," Shepard whispered to nobody in particular.

"You Bosh'tet, you haven't failed anyone," Tali replied embracing Shepard harder.

_She sounded different there..._

"You've always been there for me Shepard. Even before you met me, you were there for me. You allowed me a place among your crew, and you helped me with my pilgrimage." Garrus now knew why she sounded different, Tali was speaking from the heart. She was not about to let Shepard lose this battle with herself; not after the Commander had helped her with so many of her own.

And judging from Kate's reaction, she was doing a good job.

"You saved me from exile by facing off against the admiralty board. You believed in me when my own people didn't. You have given my people back their home Shepard. You saved my entire species. You are the greatest friend I could have ever asked for. A much better friend than I deserve. So don't for one moment think that you failed me!"

_She is about to cry, oh my god no._

_"You haven't failed anyone, so don't you think_ it!" she continued barely holding back the tears.

"Don't you ever think it!" Tali cried pulling herself into Shepards already waiting arms. Garrus was astonished. Even with her own life in shambles, Kate had recognized Tali's anguish and put aside her own pain to help another.

"You've been a sister to me Kate..." Tali whimpered as Shepard stroked her head. "You are a sister to me."

And that was it, those final words achieved what Garrus could not. They had brought a genuine smile to Kate's face that lasted.

"I always wanted a sister." Kate whispered quietly, wiping one last tear from her face.

Then holding her close, Shepard gently rocked a crying Tali back and forth.

The very image of a big sister.


End file.
